Veteran real estate agent Pat Lawson has seen many strange things in clients’ homes over the years, but Tuesday was the first time she’s ever had to request a bomb squad.
Lawson was preparing to finalize a sale on Basin Point Road — the former home of a woman who died last year — when an associate cleaning out the property’s shed discovered what appeared to be an old artillery shell or mortar round.
“That property was supposed to close escrow tomorrow, so the buyers were in town this afternoon to do the walk-through,” Lawson said in an interview. “I got there early … he had pretty much just found it when I drove in.”
Lawson snapped photos of the partly rusted metal object, about 18 to 20 inches long, shaped like a tall cylinder with a pointed tip. It looks old and weathered.
Lawson said they quickly contacted the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, which sent Deputy George Bradbury to the scene. Then the buyers and their agent, Lawson’s colleague Ron Hutchins, showed up.
Lawson and Hutchins are both brokers with Harpswell Realty Group — a local affiliate of Keller Williams Realty.
“Sheriff(‘s Deputy) Bradbury was not very happy about us being on the premises — he made us all go up on the road,” Lawson said. “He went down and took some pictures of the shell … and came back and told us, ‘The bomb squad’s on the way. You guys will have to clear out.’”
Sheriff’s Office Patrol Capt. Kerry Joyce confirmed there was a deputy present at the home who had confirmed the presence of an “old artillery shell of some type.” He said state police were responding “to take a look at it.”
On Wednesday, a Maine State Police spokesperson said members of the bomb squad, with help from the Maine Air National Guard 101st Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, identified the shell as a British artillery round from the World War II era.
“The round was moved to a safe area, and after a controlled counter charge, it was revealed that there were no explosive materials in the shell,” said Lt. Aaron M. Turcotte, a troop commander with the state police Office of Training and Professional Development.
Turcotte said anyone who finds suspicious ordnance, including old shells, should leave them alone and call local law enforcement right away.
Practice rounds and other leftover military ordnance are not unusual around former naval sites, and similar objects have been found along parts of the Maine coast for years.
In 2018, a lobsterman hauled up a World War II-era Navy projectile off Harpswell, prompting the Maine State Police bomb squad to detonate it safely, according to reporting by The Forecaster.
When asked if anyone knew how the artillery shell ended up in the shed, Lawson explained that the former homeowner had died. The seller is a representative of her estate.
“Nobody knew it was in there,” Lawson said. “She probably did at one time, but she’s been deceased for a year.”
Lawson said the buyers took the bizarre incident in stride, which she said is a strong indication that they’re a good fit for Harpswell. She said the experience was a rare first for her.
“I can handle a Glock, or a Colt,” Lawson said. “I’m familiar with those calibers. Not something like that.”
